River Horse Summer Blonde: 10 Beers of Summer

When it comes to beer, New Jersey is underrated. Sure, we don't host iconic breweries like Dogfish Head or Stone or Shiner or Samuel Adams or New Glarus, but we do have fantastic beer. Hell, believe it or not, when it comes to beer distribution New Jersey is one of the best in the nation. You can get a wider variety of beers here than you can in just about every other state, including California's much heralded beer scene.

Being underrated is too bad, because New Jersey has a few really great breweries. River Horse is one of them ... and since we're celebrating summer beer, let's celebrate their Summer Blonde Ale, a beer that is (obviously) intended for the summer months.

This is a light, refreshing, vaguely Belgian-style blonde ale that is as crisp and refreshing as summer beers come. The ABV is low, just 4.5% (it used to be as low as 4%), but it has more taste than the most common beers in its weight class. There is a vaguely grass-like character to the malts balanced by a lemon-tinged bitterness. Neither are strong -- compared to other golden ales they are pretty much nonexistent -- but that's the point. Nothing overpowering, nothing fancy, just simple, subdued, slightly zesty (but not too much!), and utterly drinkable.

Nothing wrong with that.

If you dig summer beers, be sure to enter to win loads of awesome summer beer stuff! It's EASY!

21st Amendment Hell Or High Watermelon: 10 Beers of Summer

"Fruit beer" doesn't have to be a dirty term. Hell, some of the most drinkable, refreshing, tasty brews of summer are fruit beers or even (gasp!) beers garnished with fruit. (Yes, I'm an advocate of blaspheming Bell's Oberon with a slice of orange!)

But fruit beers can be pretty divisive. As far as a lot of people are concerned, fruit and beer are two things that do NOT belong together. This beer, 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon, is especially divisive, with even some people who like fruit beers giving it a big thumbs down.

Preposterous.

I'll gladly take a few cans of this crisp wheat beer on a hot summer day, thankyouverymuch. This is a highly refreshing beverage, light and easy drinking, with a zip of Jolly Rancher-like watermelon at the end that tastes just perfect when under the hot sun. A friend considers it his boat beer; when he heads out to go fishing, this is what he brings. Good choice. Sure, your Bud Lights and Coors Lights of the world go down easy, too, but this one actually tastes good.

If you want to get it, though, you'll have to buy it in cans. Much like the fellas at Oskar Blues, Surly, and others, 21st Amendment doesn't deal in bottles. If you want their beer you're going to have to find it on draft or in a case. If that's a problem -- and there are many reasons why it shouldn't be -- better move on.

That would be a silly choice. Forget what the haters say. This beer is perfect for hot days, even right from the can. Next time the thermometer hits 99, grab a sixer and try it.

And don't forget, you wan WIN BEER SWAG by commenting on this post here and on Facebook!

You can read more about this beer in the Philadelphia Weekly.

Summer Beers! WIN a bunch of cool BEER SWAG

Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone, and you know what that means: Cold beer on hot summers days.

Celebrating the Suds wouldn't have it any other way, so we're going to count down 10 of the most refreshing beers to drink during the hot and humid days of summer -- and to celebrate this celebration of celebratable summer beers, we're going to give away tons of BEER SWAG courtesy of the folks at Corona as part of their Corona Summer promotion, including this bitchin' cooler:

Sa-weet! We also have T-shirts, portable iPod speakers, beach mats, and magnets.

Entering to win is easy. Just comment on any blog post made during our 10 Beers of Summer countdown and you'll be entered to win the Corona Summer cooler. You can enter multiple times by commenting multiple times, so comment away! (Limit, one entry per blog post.) Comment = you're entered. Boom, simple.

We're also giving away two sets of portable iPod speakers. To win those, just leave a comment on any of our Facebook posts. Oh yeah, that's right: We're on Facebook now. So surf over, comment there and you will automatically be entered to win a set of iPod speakers. Just like with the cooler, you can comment on multiple posts and be entered to win multiple times. One entry per Facebook post, and only posts to summer beer countdown content counts as an entry, but otherwise enter multiple times!

T-Shirts! All you need to do is "like" our new Facebook page and you'll be entered to win some Corona Summer shirts. Simple as that. We'll choose four winners from everyone who "likes" the page between now and midnight, June 11. Go, like, maybe win.

The beach mats are pretty cool. We'll be announcing how to win them later in the week because ... well, haven't figured it out yet. And ALL winners will get a fridge magnet, which is designed to be written on so you can leave your significant other or roomate messages like, "Buy more beer" or whatever.

So summer beers and some swag from Corona. Yeah!

The Philly Beer Top 50 - Part 10

Philly Beer Week is pretty much the biggest beer thing ever this side of the Great American Beer Festival when it comes to the not-shitty side of the Mississippi, so needless to say I'm stoked to be writing the 50-Beer Countdown To Philly Beer Week for the Philadelphia Weekly.

And hey, I care for you (not really), so I'm happy to divide it up into handy little five-beer lists like this. So here are five of the 50 beers available in Philly that you MUST drink. Part 10 of 10!

Stone Imperial Russian Stout
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Stone-Imperial-Russian-Stout-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-46-209220841.html

Weyerbacher Merry Monks
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Weyerbacher-Merry-Monks-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-47-209221861.html

Southern Tier Oat
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Southern-Tier-Oat-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-48-209335531.html

Firestone Walker Wookey Jack
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Firestone-Walker-Wookey-Jack-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-49-209335931.html

Stillwater of Love and Regret 
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Stillwater-Of-Love-And-Regret-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-50-209336731.html

The Philly Beer Top 50 - Part 9

Philly Beer Week is pretty much the biggest beer thing ever this side of the Great American Beer Festival when it comes to the not-shitty side of the Mississippi, so needless to say I'm stoked to be writing the 50-Beer Countdown To Philly Beer Week for the Philadelphia Weekly.

And hey, I care for you (not really), so I'm happy to divide it up into handy little five-beer lists like this. So here are five of the 50 beers available in Philly that you MUST drink. Part 9 of 10!

Founders Porter
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/Founders-Porter-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-41-207890051.html

Terrapin Monk's Revenge Imperial Belgian IPA
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/philly-beer-week/Terrapin-Monks-Revenge-Imperial-Belgian-IPA-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-42-207890161.html

Stillwater A Saison Darkly
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/Stillwater-A-Saison-Darkly-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-208861641.html

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/Sierra-Nevada-Pale-Ale-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day-43-208863351.html

Monk's Safe Flemish Sour Ale
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/drink/Monks-Cafe-Flemish-Sour-Ale-PWs-50-Beer-Countdown-to-Philly-Beer-Week-Day--208863761.html